The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 51

THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.nnM R5 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2002 Leading from the start Ferrari's Michael Schumacher (right) leads the field through turns one and two at the start of the United States Grand Prix. Teammate Rubens Bar-richello is right behind. The two Ferrari drivers led every lap of the race, with macher giving up the lead only during his two pit stops until he allowed Barrichello to pass on the final lap. The winner's average speed was a race-record 125.191 mph. x- r'1" Hatt Kryger staff photo Gi Block QUOTABLE USGP MEM ScV Hi "If I would have let (Team Penske teammate) Helio (Castroneves) win a couple of times like that, he would have won the (IRL) championship." 6111 E.

Washington St. 317-359-9072 1-800-289-8970 Distributor for JJconwNa REPLACEMENT BASEMENT WINDOWS INSTALLED WITH AIR VENTS Best -Quality Work Professional Installation Call for Free Estimates 10-Year Limited Warranty FULLY ISSURED XfSfDCOTrHC70R T-- Gil de Ferran Matt Iryger staff photo Meet the press: Michael Schumacher (left) and Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello answer questions about the pass on the last lap. "Saturday destroyed us. That was it. All the damage was done on Saturday.

We weren't lucky enough (to salvage Sunday)." DODGE VIPER GTS FINAL EDITION "I'm sure (everyone) wont agree with what has happened today but I think (Barrichello) deserves it." COUPE 55 Brazilian was thrilled to win in United States. From R1 pected backlash. He begged reporters not to force him to make a public statement on the matter. "What is it, the Fifth Amendment or something you plead here (in the United States)?" Coulthard said. Schumacher acknowledged U.S.

fans might not understand what happened Sunday. "I'm sure (everyone) won't agree with what has happened today, but you can't always have everybody to agree to what you do, unfortunately." he said. "But I think (Barrichello) deserves it." Barrichello didn't look the part of a victim; he celebrated his first victory in the United States. "Being a South American, it's quite important to me winning in this one here," he said of the USGP. "I'm thrilled to have my name on the (trophy)." Schumacher led 70 laps, yielding to his teammate only for a single circuit during the two pit stops, and in the waning seconds.

But Barrichello, driving the car he crashed in Friday's practice, delivered the race's quickest lap a race record 1 minute, 12.738 seconds and hounded the five-time series champion throughout the 91-minute affair. Barrichello admitted, however, that Schumacher had the best day. "I pushed every button 1 bad, but it was not possible (to catch him)," he said. "I don't know if you think that we were faking something, but I was flat out and I guess Michael was, too." Because of the infrequency of close finishes in F-l, neither driver knew how to judge the outcome. Eddie Irvine Michael Schumacher 846-5555 PALMER 1 MILE EAST OF LiiiSiL.

Keystone on 96 St. ixbYblUNt UN 30 Ol. "I think anything out of the points is always' disappointing. We did the best we could from 14th on the grid, and I don't think it's too bad. The circuit conditions seemed to be changing quite a bit.

The car didn't feel too bad." Todt sidestepped the issue later. "To take our 14th win (in 16 races this season) and our eighth 1-2 finish is fantastic," Todt said. "Now that Rubens has taken second place in the driver's classification, we have reached all the goals." Ferrari captured its 52nd consecutive podium finish and its ninth consecutive victory. The finish gave the race an entertaining bookend. On the start of the second lap, Ralf Schumacher slid through the first turn and hit Williams teammate Juan Pablo Montoya.

The contact knocked Schumacher out of contention; Montoya continued to salvage fourth place. Jaguar driver Pedro de la Rosa jumped over an infield fence after his engine expired on lap 28, but he didn't know a small creek was on the other side. "I obviously jumped because a marshal told me to, but (he) didn't tell me there was a river next to the (barrier)," he said. Call Curt Cavin at 1-317-444-6409. 1 1uT www.taghftjer.com Barrichello was most of the way around on his cool-down lap before he received word from his excited crew.

It was his fifth career win, fourth this season and third in the past four races. No matter what Schumacher intended to do, he was at peace with the result He considers Barrichello a friend and one of the best teammates he has ever had. "We are such a good team and we understand each other very well," Schumacher said. "Sometimes (he) sacrificed for me." Schumacher asked team general director Jean Todt if he could let Barrichello pass on the last lap. The answer was no, although Jenson Button it "Good race, good start and good result in the end, thanks to the car's reliability.

We had a very good strategy, also, very smart. One stop, which paid off at the end of the race." So Jarno Trulli 8 Of what winad "I have to say I changed the car too much to oversteer, and in the race, I had a very difficult time. There was a lot of oversteer." 11)1 tag Heuer Heinz-Harald Frentzen "We would have been a lot higher if we'd had no problems." Rotart Sctear staff photo ReisNichols wnh Fmt ttnt MorupotB MKT VxKft jl Sntb UhimI Pi (U M7 Mika Salo Full service: Michael Schumacher makes a pit stop and is surrounded by crew members for the Ferrari team in the U.S. Grand Prix. Schumacher clinched his fifth Formula One driving title earlier this season.

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